This invention relates generally to a device for detecting radiation and specifically to a radiation activated sensor to be utilized in a remote location, the device being characterized by having minimal power consumption for operation.
Systems for detecting radiation are well known in the prior art. However, oftentimes if the device is to be utilized in a remote location, battery size and power consumption may be a predominant consideration, such that some trade off of performance requirements with regard to accuracy and response linearity may be made. The instant invention utilizes a recycling discharge scheme in conjunction with an ion chamber which differs from earlier recycling ion chamber techniques, such as the neon glow lamp discharge, primarily by its compatability with a much lower and single operating battery voltage for both ion chamber and circuitry, thus obviating the need for a DC converter or voltage step-up. This feature, when utilized in conjunction with a small ion chamber, provides a compact sensor package to monitor radiation in the intensity range of from 1 to 1,000 Rad/h of ionizing (gamma or X-ray) radiation at remote locations. The circuitry also provides that in the absence of ionizing radiation, the sensor system power consumption is virtually zero due to a metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) device. The scheme may also prove useful for low power radiation detection in the visible and other portions of the electro-magnetic radiation frequency spectrum.